Transmission means.



w. E. BROWN.

TRANSMISSION MEANS.

APPLICATION IILED MAY 1, 1011. RENEWED NOV. 7, 1013.

1,099, 1 61 Patented June 9, 1914.

3 SHEETS-$111131 1.

W. E. BROWN. TRANSMISSION MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1, 1911. RENEWED NOV. 7. 1913.

1,099, 1 6 1 Patented June 9, 1914.

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W. E. BROWN.

TRANSMISSION MEANS.

APPLICATION nun MAY 1, 1911. RENEWED NOV. 1, 191a.

1,099,'1 61 Patented June 9,1914.

3 SHEETS-$21331 3.

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witnrnivr E. BROWIL- or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR or FIFTEENONE-HUN- DREDTI-IS TO WILLIAM M. STEWART, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

' TRANSMISSION MEANS.

' Application filed May 1, 1911, Serial No. 624,309.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. BROWN, a citizen of the United States,residing in Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State ofWisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in TransmissionMeans, of which the following is a description, reference being had tothe accompany ing drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention has for its object to provide power transmission meansparticularly adapted for motor vehicles, but capable of other uses, andconsisting of a system for conducting oil or other liquid transmissionmedium from a pump to one or more motors, suitably located for givingthe desired motion to the parts to be driven, and then returning suchtransmission medium to the pump. 1

Another object of this invention is to perfect details of constructionof such a trans mission system, whereby it may be adaptable for drivingall four wheels of the motor vehicle and the operation and controlthereof is facilitated.

With the above and other ob]ects in view the invention consists of powertransmission means herein claimed and all equivalents thereof. I

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like characters ofreference indicate the same parts in the different views: Figure 1 is'aplan view of atransmission mechanism constructed in accordance with thisinvention and applied to an automobile; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectionalview of one of the steering wheel motors, forming 'part thereof; Fig. 3'is a sectional view thereof on the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig.4-is a horizontal view of the stationary member of the motor, showingthe'slide therein; Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the motor viewed frombetween the wheelsrFig. 6 is a detail view of the motor connection withthe rear axle; Fig. 7 is a view at rightangles thereto" showing themotor stud in section; Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the controllingvalve in its position for preventing movement of the vehicle; Fig. 9 isa similar View of the controlling valve in its position for causing thevehicle to move forwardly; Fig. 10 is a similar View of the controllingvalve in its position for causing the vehicle to move rearwardly; and,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J one 9, 1914.

Renewed November 7, 1913. Serial No. 799,695.

Fig. 11 is a similar view of the controlling valve in its position topermit the vehicle to coast.

In these drawings 15 indicates a vehicle frame having ,a fixed rear axle16 and a fixed front axle 17 with a gasolene engine 18 or other motormounted thereon and driving a gear pump 19 or some desirable form ofmechanism for imparting motion to a liquid transmission medium.

A reservoir 20 containing the liquid transmlssion medium such as oil hasa pipe connection 21 connecting it with the pump 19 and a pipeconnection 22conducts the oil from the pump to a port 23 of acontrolling valve 24 which may be turned in its casing by the driver ofthe car in any suitable manner. The controlling valve 24, as clearly'shown in Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11, has a central cavity 25 with openings26, 27 and 28 leading therefrom. "Chis valve also has curved by-passes29 and 30 on either sideof the opening 28. There are two pipeconnections, 31 and 32, leading from the valve casing to the reservoir,the former connecting with a port 33 and the latter with a port 34 ofthe valve casing. The other two ports of the controlling valve casingare a forward drivingport 35 and a rearward driving port 36, the formerhaving pipe connections 37 leading therefrom to each of the four motorsof the vehicle and the latter having pipe connections 38 also leading tothe four motors of the vehicle.

In order to describe the construction and operation of the controllingvalve before describing the construction and operation of the motors itwill be stated that when the controlling valve is in a position toconnect the pump with the forward driving port 35 and thence through thepipe connections 37 to the motors, the motors are driven thereby in adirection to move the vehicle forwardly, the oil being returned to thevalve by the pipe connections 38 and to the reservoir and the pumpthrough said valve, while an opposite direction of flow of the ,oil willcause the motors to turn in a direction to drive the vehicle rearwardly.In the position of the valve shown in Fig. 8, the oil from the pump isfree to pass from the port 23 to the is therefore stopped entirely sothat therespectively. The circulation of oil through the pipe systemconnecting with the motors motors are incapable of turning and thereforeact as brakes locking the vehicle in its The rearward running positionof the valve,

as shown in Fig. 10, serves to connect the pump port 23 with the port 36to cause the motors to turn backwardly and the returning oil therefromis free to pass from port 35 "to an extension 41 of reservoir port- 33by waiy of by-pass 30. v t will. be noted that from the standingposition of the valve, shown in Fig. 8, it receives a slight turn in onedirection to produce the forward running position, of Fig. 9, or aslight turn in the opposite direction to produce the rearward runningposition, of Fig. 10, and intermediate of these two extreme positionsand the normal or middle, standing, position of the valve itpassesthrough what may be called coasting positions, in which the motorsare not locked, but are free to turn, though not being driven by thepump. One of such positions of the valve is shown in Fig. 11', whereinthe pump port 33 connects directly with the reservoir port 33 and bothof the driving ports 35 and 36 are connected with the reservoir ports 33and 34 respectively by means of the by-pas'ses 30 and 29. Thus oil isfree to-travel in either direction through the conducting system and thepump will have no efiect upon the motors.

It w'll benoted that under no conditions will the pump port 23 bedeprived of communication with some outlet for the 'oil from the pump,the intention being to keep the pump running continuously while themachine is in use. When the oildoes not have accessto either the forwardrunning port 35 or the rearward running port 36 it is free to return tothe reservoir and variations in running speed may be produced byintermediate adjustments of the valve whereby a portion only of the oilfrom the pump port 23 passes toone of the drivlng ports while theremainder returns to'the reservoir.

' The-steering knuckle for the front wheels of the vehicle is-somewhatdifferent from the ordinary, the stationary front axle 17 being providedwith a ring 43 on top thereof at each end and said ring having looselyfitting therein the vertical trunnion projections 44 I of a tubularsleeve 45. Within the sleeve 45 is fitted a tubular stud 46 which has avertical partition 47 dividing it centrally and which is closed at'itsend except for connections with the pipes 37 and 38 by means of flexiblehose connections 37' and 38, which communicate with the interior onopposite sides of the partition.

The tubular stud 46 extends from a cylindrical stationary head 48, bestseen in Figs. 3 and 4, which is contained within a casing 49 forming thehub of thevehicle wheels and having the spokes 50 of said wheels boltedthereto. The casing 49 is preferablyv mounted on ball-bearings 51located between it and the stud 46 and ball-bearings 52 located betweenit and a boss 53 which is removably secured on the head 48 opposite thestud 46. There is a vertical slot extending diametrically through thehead 48 and from oneside to the other thereof and within this slotis aslide 54. which is free to move endwise. The casing 49 is somewhatlarger in diameter than the head 48, and one-half thereof contains awall 55 closely fitting the head 48 with camends 56 connecting the twointernal wall of the casingof different diameters. The length of theslide 54 is such that it will bear against the-wall 55 as well as theinner surface of the wall of the easing directly opposite. The slide '54has a pair of passage-ways 57 and .58 extending through-it from end toend and arranged side by side, one of said passage-ways terminatmg in anopening on one face of the slide at one end thereof and in an opening onthe other face of the slide at the other end thereof, and the twopassage-ways are oppositely arranged, that is, at each end of the slidethere is one passage-way opening on one face while the otherpassage-wayopens on the other face. Communication is maintained betweenthe passage-wa 57 and the space in the stud 46 on one si e of thepartition 47 by means of a recess or cavity 59 in the head 48 connectingwith said space and communicating. with the passage-way through anopening 60 in the slide, while a somewhat larger cavity 61 establishescommunication between the space of the stud 46 on the other sideofpartition 47 with the,

passage-way 58 by means of an opening 62 in the slide, and the length ofthe openln'gs 60 and 62 is suflicient to .maintain these connectionsduring the movements of the slide. 9

Oil received from the pump under the pressure thereof-from one set ofpipe connections, according to the position of the -cont-rollingvalve,will travel in the direction of the arrows of Fig. 2, 3 and 4, assingthrough the stud 46 on one side of t e partition 47 and thence throughthe opening 62 through the passage-way 58 and out through one end of theslide 54 to the space between the head 48 and the casing 49 and betweenthe cam 56 and the slide 54:, where the pressure on the oil causes thecasing to turn and enlarge said space to accommodate the incoming oil.The oil is prevented from passing between the slide and the casing byreason of a packing 63 around its edge. The oil which is in the spacebetween the head 48 and the casin i9 is in the meantime afforded anoutlet t rough the other passage-way 57 and thence through the opening60 and the space of the stud 46 on the other side of partition 47 to thereturn pipe connections. It is obvious that a. reversal in the directionof flow of the oil through the system will result in the reversal ofdirection of rotation of the motors. Upon the projecting end of theslide arriving at one of the cams 56 it is forced inwardly thereby, thusclosing the ends of the passage-ways through which the oil. has beenflowing and simultaneously the other end of the slide is projected touncover the ends of the passage-ways located there, so that theoperation is continu ous and automatic, all motors being governed alikeby the operation of the controlling valve.

At the rear axle the motor construction is the same, but here there isno necessity for providing the knuckle joints andconsequently the studi6 is clamped directly on the end of the axle 16 and the pipeconnections 37 and 38 are .made therewith without the presence offlexible hose connections.

In operation the continuous pumping action on the oil is caused topropel the vehicle forwardly or rearwardly and at a greater or lessspeed by the manipulation of the controlling valve which serves todirect the flow of oil from the pump to one set of pipes or the other orto the reservoir, or by closing the communication for the pipeconnections entirely serving to lock the wheels against rotation. Thetransmission is thus accomplished without the necessity for intermeshinggearing or frictional .cngagements with the usual objections incidentthereto, and the change of speed or direction of movement is effected bythe more turning of a valve. With this construction also the drivingpower may be applied to all four wheels of the vehicle, thus insuringthe maximum traction efficiency.

The motor construction is simple and durable and is effective for thepurpose intended without interfering with the steering of the vehicle.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A transmission means, comprising a fluid operated motor, a pair ofpipe connec tions connecting therewith, a controlling valve comprising acasing with a forward running port and a rearward running port connectedrespectively to the pipe connections, a reservoir, said controllingvalve easing being provided with a pair of reservoir ports adjacent tothe aforementioned ports and connected with the reservoir, a pump, saidcontrolling valve casing being provided with a pump port connected withthe pump, said controlling valve containing a chamber having threeopenings, one of which is adapted to register with the pump port whilethe second registers with one of the reservoir ports in one position ofthe valve, and also adapted to register with the pump port while thethird opening registers with either the forward running port or therearward running port in other positions of the valve, said valve alsobeing provided with by-passes by means of which either of the runningports is connected with one of the reservoir ports when the otherrunning port is connected with said third opening of the valve chamber,said valve being further provided with blocks for closing the runningports in the position of the valve in which the second opening thereofregisters with the reservoir port, and a direct connection from thereservoir to the pump. a

2. A fluid motor, comprising a stationary cylindrical head, a casingmounted to rotate thereon and fitting against the head at one portion ofits interior while being spaced from the head at its opposite portion, aslide passing through the head and provided with a pair of passage-waysextending from one end thereof to the other and each opemng at oppositefaces of the slide at the respective ends thereof, and the openings ofthe two passage-ways being on opposite faces of the slide at each endthereof, said head having cavities near the center thereof on oppositesides of the slide and communicating with the respective passage-waysthrough openings in the slide, and means for deliveri ing fluid underpressure to either of the cavities and for removing the same from theother cavity. i

3. A pressure motor comprising a stationary cylindrical head, a tubularstud project- .ing therefrom, a' partition in the tubular stud dividingit into separate passage-ways, means for supplying fluid pressure to oneo the passage-ways, trunnions carried by the tubular stud, a support inwhich the trunnions are mounted to permit of pivotal movements of thehead, a casing surrounding the head, ball-bearings between the cats ingand the head, said casing fitting the surface of the head at one portionthereof and being spaced from the head at the opposite portion thereof,cams connecting said portions of ,the casing, a slide passing throughthe head and fitting the walls of the casing and adapted to be engagedby the cams during the rotary movements of the casing and forced toslide through the head, said slide extending from one end thereof to theother and each passage way terminating in an opening on opposite facesof the slide at the opposite ends thereof and the two passageways havingtheir openings on opposite faces of the side at each end of the slidesaid head being provided with cavities near its center on opposite sidesof the slide communicating with the respective passage-ways of the slidethrough openings in the slide and also communicating with thepassageways of the tubular stud.

4. In an automobile, a pressure motor, comprising a stationarycylindrical head, a tubular stud projecting therefrom, a partition inthe tubular stud dividing it into separate passage-ways, means forsupplying fluid pressure to one of the passage-ways, trunnions carriedby the tubular stud, a support in which the trunnions are mounted topermit of pivotal movements of the head, a casing surrounding the head,ball-bearings between the casing and the head, said casing fitting the.surface of the head at one portion thereof and being spaced fronrthehead at the opposite ortion thereof, cams connect- 12' said portionsaofthe casing, a slide passing through the head and fitting the walls ofthe casing and adapted to be engaged by the cams during the rotarymovements of. the casing and forced to slide through the head, saidslide being provided with a pair of passage-ways extending from one endthereof to the other, and each passage-way terminating in an opening onopposite faces of the slide at the opposite ends thereof and thetwopassage ways having their openings on opposite faces of the slide ateach end of the slide, said head being provided with cav ities near itscenter on opposite sides'of the slide communicating with the respectivepassage-ways of the slide through openingsin the slide and alsocommunicating with "the passage-ways of the tubular stud, an'axle onwhich the pivotal support for the tubular stud is mounted and a vehiclewheel formed around the casing'as its hub with spokes secured thereto.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

R. S. O. CALDWELL, KATHERINE Hour. I

